Los Angeles history

Movie Star Mystery Photo [Update]

May 17, 2010 | 7:40
am

Los Angeles Times file photo

It’s Friday, which means it’s time to identify our “mystery” guest. As everyone knows, she’s Lucille Ball. I have to say I enjoyed going through her photos so much that I have another week’s worth of photos. That’s right, two weeks of Lucille Ball. There’s lots of wonderful mystery companions.

For last Monday, we have, from left, Lucille Ball, Margaret Callahan, Joy Hodges, Anne Shirley, Phyllis Brooks and Molly Lamont. I believe Mary Mallory is the only reader to get them all. Congrats!

Just a reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and reveal the answer on Friday ... or on Saturday if I have a hard time picking only five pictures; sometimes it's difficult to choose. To keep the mystery photo from getting lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone else, there's no point in submitting it again).

If you're right, you will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess five times. Once is enough. The only reward is bragging rights.

As I expected, everybody -- absolutely everyone -- identified the mystery guest. I thought it would be interesting to post a series of pictures of her with people who are more obscure. Let’s see how many people recognized her mystery companions, some RKO starlets of 1935.

Update: This was a nice surprise. Lucille Ball and George Raft? Really? This photo, stamped April 25, 1935, shows Ball, Raft, Virginia Peine, who performed as Virginia Pine, her daughter Joaney and Mack Gray. Gray was Raft’s stand-in and there were rumors that he was dating Ball, just as there were rumors that Raft was dating Pine.

Aug. 2, 1936: Lucille Ball and Broderick Crawford? Are you serious?

Here’s our mystery guest with a couple of mystery companions.

Los Angeles Times file photo

Everybody recognized our "mystery" woman and Mystery Companion No. 1. What were they doing together? It had to do with Mystery Companion No. 2.

Well! Nobody even tried for Wednesday’s mystery companions! And they have a generous number of credits on imdb.

Los Angeles Times file photo

I like Thursday’s mystery photo quite a bit. We have our “mystery” guest, but instead of a posed photo, she’s at work. What impressed me about this picture is how well-dressed everybody is, casual but stylish.

Los Angeles Times file photo

I'm sure everybody recognizes Mystery Companion No. 1…

Los Angeles Times file photo

…but how about our very businesslike Mystery Companion No. 2?

Los Angeles Times file photo

Or Mystery Companion No. 3, lurking behind a light.

Los Angeles Times file photo

Or Mystery Companions Nos. 4 and 5 with the camera?

Unfortunately, the folks in this photo aren’t identified, so I’m hoping the Daily Mirror’s “brain trust” can help out.

Los Angeles Times file photo

And here’s Friday’s mystery photo with a mystery companion. Tune in Monday for more Lucy!